1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hedge trimming aids and more particularly pertains to a hedge trimming aid which may be employed to enable a human operator to operate a hedge trimmer at any of a series of angles referenced to the vertical.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of hedge trimmer aids is known in the prior art. More specifically, hedge trimmer aids heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of levelling or maintaining any other desirable angle of a hedge trimmer are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The present invention is directed to improving devices for trimming hedges at selectable trimming angles in a manner which is safe, secure, economical and aesthetically pleasing.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,122 to Bogdan discloses a hedge trimmer and leveling system for same comprising a powered reciprocating blade trimmer having two spirit levels affixed therein. One cylindrical spirit level is employed during trimming to visually indicate maintenance of the trimmer in a horizontal plane, and the second cylindrical spirit level is employed to visually maintain the trimmer in a substantially vertical trimming position. The present invention is affixable to any hedge trimmer and does not treat any portion of the trimming functional apparatus. And furthermore, the present invention is devised to provide visual indication of several hedge trimmer alignments of which true horizontal is but one possible disposition. The present invention achieves a greatest utility when trimming hedges requiring an angular finished cut to follow undulating ground contours or to neatly match taller and shorter adjoining hedge portions.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,701 to Clark a level device for a chainsaw is disclosed. The Clark invention comprises a transparent tube filled with colored liquid and having a small ullage in the form of a single bubble therein performing the function of a dual axis spirit level. Indicia enscibed upon the ends and top of the tube are employed to visually indicate alignment with true vertical or horizontal for a chainsaw to which said tube is affixed. The present device visually indicates alignments of a hedge trimmer at selected angles including horizontal and is employed to aid in trimming hedges wherein angular finished cuts are required.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,279 to Sienknecht a hand tool leveling apparatus is described wherein both a cylindrical and a circular bubble level are affixed to or integrated within a hand tool such as an electric drill. The circular bubble level provides a visual indication of maintenance of true vertical and the cylindrical level provides an indication of maintenance of true horizontal when the tool is operated. The present invention employs an indicating device, which in one embodiment is similar in several aspects to a bubble level, permitting alignment of a hedge trimmer at various angles one of which is necessarily true horizontal.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,749 to Ashley, et al. a hand drill level is disclosed for providing a visual indication of the horizontal alignment of an operably disposed drill bit. A disadvantage in this prior art lies in a lack of a provision for aligning a hand tool at angles other than the horizontal. The present invention permits alignment of a hedge trimmer at various angles representing substantial departures from the horizontal and thereby permits trimming of hedges requiring angular cuts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,949 to Jaccard discloses an air-bubble level for portable tools. The disclosure teaches a bubble level affixing to a portable tool thereby providing a visual indication of the horizontal. The disclosure makes no provision for alignment of a hedge trimmer at angles deviating from the horizontal. The present invention provides a visual indication of the alignment of a hedge trimming tool with respect to any of several angles including true horizontal.
In this respect, the hedge trimmer aid according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing a visual indication of the alignment of a power hedge trimmer for the purpose of maintaining the cutting blades of the hedge trimmer at a particular angular disposition.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved hedge trimmer aid which can be employed to aid in performing neat hedge trimming particularly in circumstances wherein the hedge is required to be trimmed at some angle to true horizontal. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
As illustrated by the background art, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to improve devices for visually indicating the level condition of a tool. No prior effort, however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed and claimed herein.
The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.